Salt and Sanctuary Review (PlayStation 4)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Salt and Sanctuary
  • Platform: Playstation 4
  • Show system requirements
  • Reviewed on:
Salt and Sanctuary stand-off

Salt and Sanctuary takes many of the core ideas that From Software has pushed over the year, like difficult combat and mystery in world building, and moves them into the 2D space, creating a title that can be seen as a primary cousin to Dark Souls.

There are impressive bosses to study and then slay, masses of lower enemies that can still pose problems, an impressive skill tree that offers a lot of options when it comes to character building and plenty of weapons, armor and items to use.

At the same time Salt and Sanctuary feels less frustrating, adds an extra exploration dimension and gives players more options to deal with particularly challenging areas, including a way to activate local coop.

The title is created by Ska Studios and is available on the PlayStation 4 from Sony, with plans to also deliver it on the PlayStation Vita handheld and on Windows-powered PCs in the coming months.

Story

Salt and Sanctuary starts off with a character creator that asks the player to decide on a range of details about the protagonist, plenty of them entirely cosmetic but also some, including class, that will have a major impact on the way gameplay progresses.

A very Lovercraftian creature then abruptly invades the world of the game and takes the player to an island that's filled with dangerous creatures and with interesting locations, with a load of powerful bosses that bar progress towards a princess.

The world of Salt and Sanctuary is filled with hints at Dark Souls, and there's little in the way of clear information for the player to absorb at first, although as more of the world is explored, there are plenty of details that gamers can piece together into a more coherent image.

Salt and Sanctuary skill tree
Salt and Sanctuary skill tree

This is not a narration-driven experience but the environments, the bosses, the equipment and the skills are all good enough to create an atmosphere of darkness and mystery that makes every step feel important and every success feel crucial, even if it’s followed quickly by death and despair.

The difficulty of Salt and Sanctuary means that it forces players to pay attention at all times and that makes it very easy for them to develop interesting stories that contain plenty of hurt and failure but, via persistence and skill, will end in victory.

Gameplay

Salt and Sanctuary is an action role-playing game with platformer elements that takes place on a 2D plane, with gamers asked to battle both normal enemies and powerful bosses as they level up their character, secure better equipment and find out more about the world they are thrown in.

Combat, which is the most challenging element of the experience, is weighty and engaging, with characters getting a light and heavy attack for offensive purposes and a roll and parry for defensive ones, which can be supplemented by thrown explosives, magic and combos when tougher enemies are present.

The system encourages players to be on their toes at all times because even normal enemies can cause of lot of damage and bosses and special enemies often take the player out in one or two strikes, but information and timing can lead to victory even in clashes that initially seem hopeless.

It’s impossible to avoid death in Salt and Sanctuary, but players should strive to minimize its appearances, as gold is depleted every time a mysterious cleric is called upon to revive a character and two deaths in a row result in the loss of salt.

Each boss battle has a lot of personality, and one or two tries are often required just to get an idea of how a particular character behaves, and I found that it’s a good idea to run away a lot and use healing to stay alive and find patterns that can be exploited.

Once the player has information, he can craft a strategy to defeat his massive opponent, taking into account that new attacks emerge when his health is low, but implementation is hard and some enemies take quite a bit of effort to take down.

This common substance is very valuable in the world of the game as it is used to power character development but also to upgrade weapons and armor at specially designated locations.

These sanctuaries are the only places on the island where a character can feel safe, able to get his health back and refill his potions as he prepares to push forward once more, but they also offer a neat management mini-game built around items and companions.

Gamers can attract merchants, wizards and other NPCs in order to spend his gold and upgrade his equipment and there's even an option to enable fast travel and another that can allow a friend to join the action and jump into the fight using a second character.

Regardless of upgrades, all sanctuaries allow players to invest their salt to explore the impressive skill tree, which is very open, with each class changing the starting position but placing no other restrictions, and encourage gamers to try out upgrades, new weapons or new strategies if they fail to make progress.

Salt and Sanctuary also wants players to move back and forth through the world, introducing Brands in order to give the character new ways to interact with the environment, with the first tweak being a power to walk on ceilings while also introducing obelisks that open up secret areas to explore.

Because the game does not feature a map, exploration can sometimes feel a little aimless and even disorienting, but the developers have done a good job at connecting areas in interesting ways to alleviate potential frustration.

I found Salt and Sanctuary less frustrating than Dark Souls, mainly because of its 2D nature and because it simply gives players more freedom to move around and try new things when a particular area or boss threatens to become annoying.

Graphics and audio

Salt and Sanctuary builds on the look that all the Ska Studios titles have used, with a cartoonish style and washed out colors that are well suited to such a bleak world and manages to make the combat feel even more difficult than it is and death and failure even more depressing.

I appreciate the mix of practicality and weirdness that defines the environments, the enemies and the equipment, but the protagonists, regardless of the choices made during the initial creation, fail to impress.

Ska Studios also does a good job of keeping the user interface simple, making sure that players can keep their focus on the combat and the exploration, only worrying about stats, gear and consumables when they are safe in a sanctuary.

The audio design of Salt and Sanctuary is more satisfying than the graphics, with the music, especially during boss battles, enhancing the feeling of dread and challenge with its gothic tone while the combat sounds combine crunch and wetness in a very satisfying way even when it’s the player character that takes the hits.

Multiplayer

Salt and Sanctuary can be played entirely in local coop as long as gamers offer stone sellsword at a sanctuary, and having two characters on screen at the same time, especially if they have been carefully designed to enhance each other's powers, can be a joy.

It's easy for one player to deal with all the platformer elements, especially if their partner does not have too much experience with the genre, and then profit from the catch-up mechanic to get involved with the combat and especially the boss fights.

Salt and Sanctuary also allows gamers to leave messages in the world, which can be used to deliver true info or to trick other gamers, but there are no invasions in the game and no option to get a partner online.


The Good

  • Combat variety
  • Sanctuary options
  • World exploration

The Bad

  • Can become frustrating
  • Could use a map

Conclusion

Salt and Sanctuary features a significant level of challenge, mainly in the combat department, and a world that's at the same time threatening and attractive, with the two combining well to draw the player in and keep him engaged even if he suffers constant defeats at the hands of his enemies.

Losing repeatedly to the same enemy and losing salt for it can become frustrating, but it’s almost impossible to get into a death spiral and there’s always an upgrade, a new ability or an item that can change the balance of a battle and give the edge they need to progress.

The 2D nature of the game, the extensive exploration options and the sanctuary mechanics also give the title its own personality, which is a good thing given the inevitable comparison to the universe that From Software created in its own titles.

Ska Studios clearly loves Dark Souls and Salt and Sanctuary is a very effective love letter that can appeal both to long-term fans of that series and to players who simply want to feel challenge in a world that’s filled with mystery and clever opponents.

story 8
gameplay 9
concept 10
graphics 8
audio 9
multiplayer 8
final rating 8.5
Editor's review
very good
 

Salt and Sanctuary Images (15 Images)

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